Neutrally means acting or speaking without showing favor toward any side, without expressing strong opinions, or without adding emotional tone. When a referee calls a game neutrally, they don't help either team win. When a news reporter covers a story neutrally, they present the facts without revealing what they personally think should happen.

Switzerland famously remained neutral during World War II, refusing to join either side in the fighting. In chemistry, a neutral solution is neither acidic nor basic.

Speaking neutrally can be surprisingly difficult. If you're describing an argument between two friends to a teacher, you might try to explain what happened neutrally, without making either friend sound like the villain. Scientists write their research results neutrally, describing what they observed without exaggerating or downplaying their findings.

Sometimes neutrally simply means without emotion or expression. Someone might respond neutrally with just “okay” when they don't want to reveal whether they're pleased or disappointed. A neutral facial expression shows neither happiness nor anger. Being neutral isn't the same as not caring or not having values.